The Convair B-58 Hustler was an American military strategic bomber and the Air Force's first operational supersonic bomber. Its delta wing, four engines and slender fuselage embodied a high-speed approach to nuclear delivery. Strategic Air Command operated it between 1960 and 1970.[1]
Design
The B-58 first flew on 11 November 1956. Heat-resistant honeycomb sandwich panels were used extensively in the wings and fuselage, while an inertial navigation and bombing system supported the mission. Four General Electric J79 engines supplied afterburning thrust.[1]
The narrow fuselage left insufficient space for a conventional internal bomb bay. A large external pod beneath the aircraft carried fuel and a nuclear weapon or specialised equipment. The crew comprised a pilot, navigator-bombardier and defensive systems operator, each with a distinct task in operating the complex aircraft.[1]
Escape system
Ordinary ejection seats exposed crew members to dangerous conditions during high-speed escape. Stanley Aircraft developed an enclosed capsule that was retrofitted during 1962. Clamshell doors sealed around the occupant, and an independent oxygen system provided pressurisation.[2]
Once enclosed, a crew member could eject by rocket or remain protected while descending to a safer altitude. The pilot's capsule incorporated controls that allowed continued flying. After ejection, a parachute lowered the capsule, shock absorbers reduced landing impact and flotation equipment supported survival after a water landing.[2]
Production and records
Convair built 116 Hustlers, including thirty test and pre-production aircraft and eighty-six intended for operational service. The type established numerous speed and altitude records during its short career.[1]
The preserved B-58A at the National Museum of the United States Air Force flew from Los Angeles to New York and back on 5 March 1962, setting three speed records. Its crew received the Bendix and Mackay trophies, and the aircraft reached the museum in December 1969.[1]